What a strange combination, my translator gave plastic for platique (a non
brainer), but Wikipedia did better. It tells us it is a Portuguese
pronunciation for cry or lament in populat music instrumental style. Its
origins in 19th c. Rio de Janeiro. A style characterized by imprvisation and
subtile modulations...etc.etc. which could account for the 'platique' as
flexible??

Can anyone tell me what the French art historical and archeological term
"choroplastique" means? It doesn't seem to have a dictionary entry anywhere;
google shows a handful of occurrences suggesting it refers either to very
small figurines or the material they're made of.